The Mistletoe Effect X: Neal & Sara
by Ultrawoman
Summary: Festive OneShot. The effect of mistletoe on Neal & Sara. Peter and Elizabeth are hosting a Christmas party, but they may have an ulterior motive in inviting both Neal and Sara, who are still broken up. Set in an AU Season 3.


**A/N: I still get nervous whenever I write/post a White Collar fic, because I still feel like I don't have as good a handle on the characters as in some other fandoms I write for, but anyway, here's my best effort! lol**

 **This is labelled as part 10 in a series, because I have been writing The Mistletoe Effect on-and-off for the past 10 years and White Collar is the 10th fandom to get the treatment!**

 **If you like Buffy, Veronica Mars, That 70s Show, Press Gang, Leverage, OUAT, Necessary Roughness, or Alice feel free to check out the others in the series.**

 **The others being posted for this festive season are Gilmore Girls, X-Men and The Librarians :)**

 _ **(Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Jess Eastin and other folks who aren't me.)**_

The Mistletoe Effect X: Neal & Sara

Neal was starting to think he had been played.

As a successful conman of many years standing, he really should have seen it coming, but the Burkes were such honest people, he never suspected them for a second. Besides, it was Christmas, or very nearly. It was normal for people to have parties and gatherings. When Peter told him that El was organising something, he smiled and said it was a great idea, going so far as to offer his help with the arrangements.

"We've got everything covered, but thanks," his handler told him, clapping him on the shoulder and smiling just a little too wide.

It made Neal wary but only for a moment. Peter wasn't trying to pull anything, that wasn't his style, and certainly Elizabeth wouldn't be involved in anything nefarious. The Christmas party soon became the talk of the office. Jones had been invited, Diana too, along with a few other select members of the FBI White Collar Division, but this wasn't simply a work thing, as Neal found out when he headed home that afternoon.

"About time you got here," said Mozzie, leaping out from behind the door.

Neal put a hand to his chest and tried not to look quite as startled as he felt.

"Mozz, seriously," he said to his friend. "Whatever drama you have going on, could it please just wait until tomorrow. I have plans tonight."

"We all have plans, Neal," Mozzie told him, holding up two ties for inspection. "Which one do you like better?"

Neal made a face. "Neither. Why are you picking out a tie anyway? You don't have a date, do you?"

"I'm choosing to ignore the surprise in your tone that comes with the assumption I may be courting a woman this evening," said Mozzie with a look, putting both ties on the table. "This evening, I have been invited to a Christmas party, by a charming woman of good repute."

"Would this charming woman happen to be round 5' 4", brunette, beautiful blue eyes, usually hanging off the arm of a certain Suit?" asked Neal with a smirk.

"Elizabeth invited you too? And you didn't tell me?" asked Mozzie wide-eyed at the implication.

"Apparently you were invited and you haven't mentioned it to me until now," Neal pointed out, going to his closet and selecting a tie that actually would work with what Mozz was already wearing. "I assume for the same reason I didn't mention it, the very fact that bringing up an event you possibly were not invited to would cause more offence than not," he said, handing over the tie.

"Thanks," said Mozzie, though it was unclear if it was for the tie or the attempt to spare his feelings. "So, we're both invited. That's good, I guess, although you should know I already have someone to escort to the event itself."

Neal opened his mouth to ask who that might be when a light knocking came on the door. Before he had a chance to say 'come in' the door opened a few inches and June popped her head in.

"Are you ready, Mozzie?" she checked.

"I am now, June," he told her with a smile, throwing on his jacket.

She opened the door wider and walked into the apartment.

"Wow. June, you look amazing," said Neal, grinning at the sight of her, all in shimmering grey and silver tones.

"You'll be the most beautiful woman at the party, June," Mozzie told her.

She scoffed at their compliments.

"Thank you, even though I think you're both delusional," she said, smiling anyway. "In my younger days, I would've believed you, but now?"

"Beautiful women only improve with age," said Mozzie definitely as he came to take her by the arm. "Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic."

"Rosalind Russell!" said June, clapping her hands in delight. "Oh, she was wonderful in His Girl Friday..."

Neal smiled and shook his head, closing the door behind his friends. He knew he had to get himself ready and over to the Burkes before he was late.

Of course, when he got there and cast an eye around the assembled group, Neal wasn't surprised by what he saw, at least not at first. People from the office, neighbours and friends of Elizabeth's that he met before, Neal was in good company. It was a certain person over towards the kitchen that soon got his attention. A familiar head of red hair that sipped her wine too often to really be comfortable. That was the moment when Neal started to suspect a set-up, and from there it only got more suspicious.

"Neal, honey," said Elizabeth, approaching fast with a bottle in her hand, "could you take this to the kitchen for me and pop it into the refrigerator? It's warm."

He stared at her a long moment, watching her eyes shift to the left and her smile waver just a little bit. El was a wonderful woman, but a real lousy liar.

"Sure, I can do that," he said, taking the Prosecco out of her hand and heading for the kitchen.

On the way, Peter gave an over-enthusiastic grin and slapped him on the back when he passed by. He may as well have said 'Way to go, slugger', or so Neal thought. No doubt he said it in his head, and then most likely watched his friend up until the moment the kitchen door closed behind him.

"Hi," he said to the back of the red-head who was now digging in the refrigerator.

Sara almost bumped her head as she turned around in double-quick time.

"Hi, Neal. Er, Elizabeth asked me to get another bottle," she said, pushing her hair back over her ear unnecessarily, a nervous gesture that he really couldn't blame her for.

"And she asked me to bring this one back to get cold."

Sara slowly nodded, moving aside so that Neal could put the bottle into the fridge.

"I think maybe..."

"We've been set up?" he finished for her. "Yeah, I'm getting that impression."

They both smiled at their friends' attempts to be helpful, but neither was anything but oddly nervous in such a moment. They hadn't been in the same room in quite a while, certainly not alone. Before this they were lovers, and before that adversaries in a sense. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of middle ground, no friend zone for them. It seemed as if they were going to have to find one now, that somebody might just be expecting them to.

"How have you been Neal?" said Sara eventually.

"I'm good," he replied, nodding his head, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"You're good?" Sara checked, feeling just a little slighted and it showed on her face.

"Maybe not good," he admitted. "I'm okay," he amended. "I... I've missed you."

"Yeah?" Sara smiled. "Well I have to admit, I've missed you too."

This was getting no easier for the confessions. If anything it was worse. They missed each other, but that didn't fix anything. It wasn't proof that they should be together or that either of them even wanted to try. Still, something had to be said here, something had to give. They both must have made that realisation at the same moment, speaking the other's name all over the top of each other.

"I'm sorry," they said together too.

"After you," said Neal, ever the gentleman.

"No, you go," Sara insisted.

"No, really."

"Neal!"

His name came out like a warning from her ever-inviting lips. It would be so much easier if he could just kiss her right now, but that wouldn't solve anything, Neal knew. This was one of those times when he needed to talk, and one of the even rarer occasions when all that he said had to be the absolute truth, no matter what.

"I'm sorry for how things ended with us," he said at last, meeting Sara's eyes, "or, more accurately, I'm sorry for how I treated you, which led to the way things ended with us. I should have been honest from the start, Sara," he said regretfully. "At least then you could've made an informed decision. I really never meant to lie to you, everything just got out of hand."

"I get it. I do," she promised him, knowing this wasn't entirely his fault. "I'm sorry too. I probably overreacted a little. I mean, it was a big deal, finding out... what I found out," she said, eyes darting to the door a moment, wary of who might be listening yet, "but I should've known better. You were pretty honest with me, and it's not like I didn't know first-hand what kind of man you are," she recalled with a wide smile. "Hell, that's probably half the attraction."

Neal smirked at that. "Only half?" he checked, stepping in a little closer.

Sara laughed, she couldn't help it. "Nice to see you haven't gotten any less modest."

"People like me don't really change, Sara," he told her, more seriously than he meant to but at least it was the truth. "I never really wanted to, until I realised that being me meant not being with you," he said sadly, one hand creeping into her hair of its own volition.

Sara's eyes closed even at the slight contact. She had missed him. It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like a lifetime since they were together. Neal was like no other man she ever met, a real one of a kind, and she had run from him just because things got complicated and messy. Some people, people like him, they had to be worth the trouble. Surely that was the point.

"I don't want you to change, Neal," she promised him, fingers playing with his tie, the lapels of his jacket. "I just... I wasn't sure. But..."

She lost the ability to form words. He could have that effect on her, so it ought to come as no surprise. Right now, there was no way for Sara to be this close to Neal and not be kissing him. Instinct carried her forward the last short distance and then they were just lost in the moment, in each other's arms and lips, and the feeling it all evoked in the both of them.

Before long she was sat on the edge of the counter with her legs around him, his hands moved over her body as he kissed her neck. Sara's head tipped back until her only view was the ceiling, and then it happened.

Neal was startled from his careful ministrations by Sara's body shivering, not with the expected desire anymore, but with a fit of laughter. Her giggling threw him completely off his game, almost enough to make him worry this was all some sick con, though he would never think to accuse her of such a tasteless joke.

"Oh my God!" she said then, hands to his face as she encouraged him to look up. "If we aren't just the world's biggest cliché!" she laughed, unable to stop.

Neal smiled too, closing his eyes a moment as he realised just how sappy they really were, even if they hadn't realised it until now. Kissing under the mistletoe, it was so not them. Neal groaned, forehead resting against her body a moment.

"That is a terrible cliché," he admitted, then looked up to meet her eyes, "but you have to admit, not every cliché is bad."

Sara had a feeling they weren't just talking about the mistletoe anymore. She had fallen for the reformed bad boy that maybe wasn't as reformed as he should have been, and he had found himself entangled with the badass woman who once tried to help put him in jail. They could easily be mistaken for a bad movie plot, but that couldn't really matter. There was something between them, something undeniable. Something obvious enough that their friends were bound and determined to get them to give it one more try.

"Merry Christmas, Caffrey," said Sara then, smiling happily.

"Merry Christmas, Sara," he replied in kind, accepting the further brief kiss she offered him.

"Yes," she said, pulling back, rubbing her lipstick from his bottom lip with her thumb. "I think this year it might just be," she admitted, before taking advantage of the mistletoe one more time.

Neal was starting to think he really didn't mind being played if this was the end result.

The End


End file.
